NO MASKS OR SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIRED AT EXCLUSIVE #MAINE SUMMER CAMP: 250 out-of-state kids, ages 7-16, (many from #COVIDー19 hotspots) showed up at Camp Wekeela in the Oxford County town of Hartford (a few miles from my home) on July9 &10. vimeo.com/439409140/5389…
A week later, camp owner Ephram Caflun posted this video, of him -- mask-less -- addressing the campers in the dining hall, proclaiming “We are 100 percent negative.” With that, many of the kids and staff removed their masks, some tossing them in the air.
A 5-week camp session is $11,000 + bus fees ($340 from Logan, $250 from the Portland Jetport) + airfare. In a FB post 3 weeks ago, Caflun said, “Our staff will fight for and defend the campers’ rights to benefit, learn and learn from this rite of passage - the camp experience.”
In a statement to parents on his website, Caflun claimed there are “two fantastic medical hospitals in our town ready for the summer and whatever it may bring.” For the record, there are ZERO hospitals in Hartford. The hospitals in Rumford and Lewiston are a half hour away.
On Sunday, I kayaked by the camp & saw ZERO social distancing.A counselor told me the campers passed THREE #COVID tests. Under current state rules, there is not a testing protocol for summer camps. And mask-wearing is required when social distancing is not an option.
Earlier today, I called Caflun for an interview, twice. He hung up the phone both times. Then, minutes later, Caflun instructed a camp counselor to call the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department to file a complaint against me for harassment.
However, after a ten minute conversation with me, the investigating deputy declined to pursue the matter. According to Maine's #CDC’s Health Inspection Program, they have received a complaint and are investigating the summer camp.
